MANDATORY CREDIT REQUIRED: SYCO/THAMES TV Undated handout photo issued by ITV of judges (left-right) Nick Grimshaw, Rita Ora, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Simon Cowell during the Six Chair Challenge during the ITV1 talent show, The X Factor. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Sunday October 4, 2015. See PA story SHOWBIZ XFactor. Photo credit should read: SYCO/THAMES TV/Corbis/Dymond/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The X Factor's ratings slide continued this weekend as the show drew an audience of 5.6m, its lowest since it started in 2004.

Share

X Factor ratings slide to 2004 levels as show beaten by Strictly by almost 4 million

Independent.ie

The X Factor's ratings slide continued this weekend as the show drew an audience of 5.6m, its lowest since it started in 2004.

To add insult to injury Saturday night's show was trounced by BBC rival show Strictly Come Dancing in the ratings by almost 4 million.

Strictly's Halloween special drew an average of 9.4 million viewers.

Saturday night's episode was the first of the live shows yet ratings were down more than a million on the previous week which was the nail-biting Judges Houses round.

On Sunday night Cowell's talent show saw a double elimination - Alien Uncovered and Bupsi Brown - in an effort to boost tension.

However, it's the latest in a long list of changes and tactics Cowell has employed to shake up the current series, none of which appear to be making any impact.

This series he replaced all of the presenters with Caroline Flack and Olly Murs taking over from Dermot O'Leary on the main show, and Melvin Odoom and Rochelle Humes taking over from Sarah Jane Crawford on the spin off The Xtra Factor.

He also shook up the judging panel with just Cheryl Fernandez Versini returning and Louis Walsh and Mel B replaced by Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora.

However, the moves have failed to produce the ratings boost the show requires as its ratings continue to slide since its heydey in 2010.

When Matt Cardle won that year it drew an audience of 17.7 million. However, just 9.1 million tuned in for last year's final which saw Ben Haenow crowned the winner.